The Other Potter
by Cecily Aelis
Summary: Meghan thinks that her life is completely normal living with her parents just outside of London. Well that all change when a knock echoes from her door, revealing a strange lady that holds all the answers to her questions...
1. The Meeting

Meghan woke early on a gloomy Saturday morning, light streaming in through her open bedroom window. Her room was quite large, on the top floor of her family's two-story house, just outside of London. It contained her small twin bed, with pastel colored plaid comforters, with fleece lining on everything due to the cold weather they usually received there. She had a small T.V, but it only got four channels, which was ok since she also had a computer that her parents had bought for her, for her fifteenth birthday.  
  
Her night table was of rich, wooden oak, just as her bookshelf and dresser were. Although she was older now, her parents had refused to allow her to change her room, which had been the same since she was about ten. Piercing green eyes surveyed the dark recesses of her sanctuary. It was just another day in her life, nothing special going on, not that there was anything interesting to be done anyway. Stretching as she sat up slowly, the covers crumpling over her legs, Meghan slid over to one side and placed her feet on the soft carpet that had been there ever since before she could remember. Standing up on her bare feet, leaving little prints in the carpeted floor, realizing that her parents weren't up at this hour. Her small white clock read 4:30 am, which was pretty much the time that she woke up every day.  
  
Glad that it was the weekend, Meghan let a small smile dangle on her face for a few seconds, before going serious again. It was too bad that the weekends didn't last forever, Meghan was an outcast at school, the one always left out. She wasn't dorky or anything, just strange, maybe a little more strange then the average sixteen year olds. Her ebony black hair shimmered in the red light, natural ruby highlights mixed in with the other strands. The funny thing was that both of her parents had brown hair, while she had a much different variety of colors, but had never taken much notice of that. Another thing that was strange, was that her relatives all seemed to shun her, much like other people did. Even her grandparents, who were supposed to love their grandchildren, seemed to hate her with a passion. Turning to her bay window, Meghan frowned at the sky, red in color, which was strange for her little town of Brunswick.  
  
"I wonder what's wrong?" she asked herself quietly, feeling a sinking sensation in the pit of her stomach, telling her that something wasn't right; the sky outside still looking a poisonous, blood red. It was never a good sign when this kind of thing happened. Things always went wrong with her. Just lately, she had broken her mother's best gold earrings, but when she was about to tell her the horrible news, the earrings were as good as new, sparkling innocently in the sunlight, as her mother told her off for making up such nonsense.  
  
In her small mirror, which sat atop her dark wooden dresser, her reflection shone out brightly. It was as though her skin was translucent - Not white, just very light. Stepping lightly over to it, her flannel pajamas caused her to trip slightly; The sizing much too big for her small frame. Meghan's hair was a little messed up with the moving around she did when sleeping, so she quickly took up her round brush from the still dresser and brushed through it thoughtfully; Leaving it amazingly straight. Placing the brush down on the cold wooden surface, Meghan pulled out a pair of her regular blue jeans, and a red sweatshirt, which she quickly changed into. Pulling her hair up into a loose ponytail, Meghan flipped on her computer and sat down at her desk. Her television was turned on at a very low volume, hoping not to wake her parents. The numbers on her clock were now as 5:15 am, but it was still too early to do anything. So, stepping out of her room, her parent's room door closed with only a little crack of space between it. Peeking in through the door, the wood creaking slightly as she stepped in to check on them, snoring in a deep sleep.  
  
Creeping downstairs, Meghan jumped down the second to last one, knowing that it creaked slightly if any weight was put on it. As she entered her kitchen, the same one that she had known for the last sixteen years, Meghan smiled broadly and grabbed a roll from a bunch that her mother had made the other night. She broke open the surface of it, and watched as steam rose, and she placed it in her mouth, burning her mouth as she swallowed. Regaining her composition, Meghan placed the other half of the roll down and sat on her large upholstered couch that sat in the middle of her family room that was joined to the kitchen.  
  
"Oh, my life is so interesting," she said sarcastically to herself, rolling her eyes, and brushing away a piece of hair that had fallen into her face.  
  
Just then, her parents came stumbling down the stairs, wrapped in their cotton housecoats that looked like they had come straight out of 1950. Their style was very old fashioned in her opinion, but what was style anyway. Just as they say; "Beauty is in the eye of the beholder"  
  
"Hello dar..dar..ling" her mother said sleepily, suppressing a yawn. Smiling at her daughter, her face faltered, but only slightly.  
  
"Why are you up so early?" her father asked, seeming wide awake at the time. He was usually the one awake at this hour to go to work at the store, but on weekends he usually slept in. Wrapping the robe more tightly around him, feeling the cold air seep in through the fabric, her father, Dave, turned the electric fireplace on at a high temperature. When he had awoken, it had been from the red sky, the light of it streaming in through their own small window. Even from here, the doom struck sky was visible, casting an eerie light over his family.  
  
"I'm always up this early," Meghan muttered, feeling almost angry with her parents for always pestering her. It felt like something was creating friction between them, not even big things either - Just small petty arguments and conflicts. Scratching her back with great difficulty, Meghan glanced at the window, her reflection staring back at her. She was a pretty girl, but not extraordinarily so, more like a natural, plain beauty that radiated from within. That was obviously something that boys at school didn't pay attention to. All it was for them was the presence of big chests and pretty faces. They just grouped her as being strange. Meghan was quite tall, not gangly, but just taller then average, and she was skinny, one of those people who could eat lots of food at one sitting, and not gain a pound. Rubbing her eyes thoughtfully, Meghan gently scratched the sleep from the thin skin around her eyelid. Standing and giving her parents reluctant hugs, she felt the pressure and tension.  
  
Receiving the hugs from their daughter, Dave and Joanne pulled away and looked back at the foreboding sky. Something just told them that it was going to be bad, bad day; A feeling of impending doom in their bones or something. "So, is there anything going on today?" Joanne asked, trying to break the uncomfortable silence with her mindless blabber.  
  
"Of course there isn't." Meghan answered, feeling her stomach give another unsuspecting lurch. It was something that wasn't a problem just a few days ago, but lately, she felt sick to her stomach almost every waking minute ... Which was usually a sign that something bad was coming. This had happened to her just before their school had been set on fire by a lightning bolt - Another thing that wasn't common in her area. After that event that happened, she had been treated like a freak, an outcast. These types of things happened to her all the time - Strange little accidents that nobody could explain, but still they blamed on her. Once, when a guy had gotten close enough to her, and actually liked her for who she was, he left, because all the other people in her school treated him like an outcast as well, which was obviously too much for him. She was used to it though. And usually in large measures.  
  
Then suddenly, a light rapping sound came from the front door. Meghan decided that she might as well answer it. She was the only one decent and ready anyway. Groaning as she lifted her feet unwillingly towards the door, Meghan leaned her head against the wooden door dismally; The same design on it as the rest of the doors in the small, quaint house. Slipping her hand on the cold metal handle, feeling it turn under her strong grip, Meghan found herself face to face with a fair-faced, red-haired lady with a wistful smile on her face.  
  
"Can I help you?" she asked curiously, wondering if the lady had any reason for being on their doorstep.  
  
"Oh, I can't believe it," she said emphatically, looking as though she was going to burst into tears. Suddenly she grabbed Meghan and pulled her into a tight hug - Silent tears streaming down her flushed face. It was just as her Sirius had told her. She was here. Actually here. Alive and well.  
  
Meghan got a little freaked out, but the woman's grasp was too tight to wriggle out of. So, standing there for the few moments until she let go, Meghan felt particularly bewildered as to what was going on. By the looks on their faces, so did her parents. Ignoring their horrified looks, Meghan turned her attention back to the strange woman. Inhaling the soft scent of her hair, Meghan smiled gently at it. She smelled of freshly baked bread, and new spring flowers - Almost like her mother should have smelt like, but sullenly never did.  
  
The lady straightened herself up, and continued to weep silently, a smile twitching in the corners of her mouth. "I'm your mother," she said softly, her eyes teary with joy. 'She looks exactly like Harry ...' She thought, just wanting to reach out and hold her again. 'But without that scar ...' ... The woman was glad that Meghan would never have to carry the burden that Harry did, being famous and all, but she needed to know everything..  
  
At first, Meghan thought that this lady was completely off of her rocker, but then looking back at her parents, she noticed that her mother had burst into tears which were slowly being calmed by her father, who was also looking very grave. "I..I..I don't know what you're talking about." Meghan stuttered, feeling as though her whole world was crashing down, and was slowly dragging her down with it. This couldn't be happening to her, it was just like her stomach had told her - Something was happening. But at the moment, she wasn't sure if it was good or bad.  
  
"Meghan, I thought that I'd never see you again! Oh! Oh my! I'm so sorry! How silly of me. My name is Lily Potter. And ... And you are my daughter." She spoke kindly, her voice radiating warmth and gentility and an almost scary truth. Meghan's own face was written with complete puzzlement; A silent gasp frozen on her face. Surely, this couldn't be? Her mind was blank with thought - She would almost have been swept away in a tide of them if the woman before her had not kept her so entranced in the moment.  
  
Her emerald eyes were void of joy - More like shock. Feeling the lady, now known as Lily, pull her into another hug, Meghan felt like she was going to be sick. It was bad enough being a teenager who was ignored and shunned all the time, but to be adopted, with your real mother standing at your doorstep, that, that, was just overkill ...  
  
Who can guess what's gonna happen next? Okay, okay, I won't tell you all the details, but it's going to be good, I can guarantee it. Next chapter, all mysteries are revealed, well maybe not all of them, but at least most of them. Meghan gets to go to Hogwarts where she meets her new brother and all of his friends. Also, she meets her true love, but I am not saying another word. 


	2. The Leaving

Recovering from the shock of just being told that she was adopted, Meghan had half a mind to just slam the door in her face and just not say another word about it for the rest of her life. Instead she beckoned Lily into their home and motioned her to sit down in one of her soft upholstered chairs. Green octaves fixed on Lily's kind face; Meghan listened intently to what she had to say. If all that she had said so far was true, then Meghan knew why she was so different from her parents. Even though it didn't make sense to her right now, it seemed like the truth.  
  
"Please tell me everything," Meghan said, more calmly then she actually felt. Without an explanation, she would never be able to understand. And if she couldn't understand, then there was nothing else to do or say.  
  
Joyous that her only daughter allowed her into her home, or at least what she had called home for the last sixteen years, Lily just couldn't believe how much Meghan looked like Harry, and also like James. Sitting down in the normal chair that inhabited the home, Lily felt slightly awkward, being the one who just broke the news to this family, who seemed to really care for Meghan as though she was their real daughter. Not knowing where to begin in her tale, Lily decided to call on someone who did know, the one who was there from pretty much the very beginning. Chanting some words, Lily concentrated with great difficulty until an audible pop sounded. There, standing in the middle of the family room was Sirius Black.  
  
"Hallo Lily" he said cheerfully, observing his current surroundings. It flicked on a switch in the back of his head, like he recognized where he was, but it just didn't completely register.  
  
Meghan couldn't believe the scene she just beheld, nothing like that was ever possible. You couldn't just appear out of thin air; it was almost like.magic or something. A small gasp escaped her lips as she realized what they were. They were magical; Meghan could sense it from the both of them. Instantly she felt some recognition of his kind face, but couldn't remember who he was.  
  
"Nice to see you again, Sirius old friend, " she said warmly, flicking her eyes over the astounded faces of Meghan and her sobbing parents.  
  
"May I ask why you summoned me, or am I just going to stand here," he said with a cheeky grin playing on his broad, good-natured face.  
  
"Why of course" she said softly, her face relaxed into a smile "I need you to tell Meghan the whole story, right from the beginning"  
  
Sirius's face dropped with surprise. He remembered the house now; it was the one that he had taken Meghan to under Lily's orders. Looking at her with astonishment shining in his steel blue eyes, Sirius just couldn't believe that she was actually there before him, still unharmed and grown up.  
  
"Is that really.," he said, cutting himself off towards the end, wondering if this was just a joke. But it couldn't be, he knew that Lily wouldn't joke about something so serious. And she was a splitting image of her father and brother, down to the last messy strand of hair.  
  
Lily nodded with a small sigh, as Sirius rushed forward to give Meghan a hug. It had been so long since he had taken her here from the ruins of the Potter's house in Godric's Hollow.  
  
This was getting a little too weird for Meghan, receiving yet another hug from a perfect stranger, now known as Sirius. If they weren't going to tell her soon, she would plan to kick them out of her house. But something inside her told her that she would want to hear what they had to say.  
  
"I can't believe it" Sirius said, regaining his composition and starting to pace in a straight line. He wasn't quite sure how to tell Meghan who had lived a lie for her whole life the truth. "Well, it all started fifteen years ago" he started, thinking about all that had happened in that long period of time. "You were just one year old, the same age as Harry, your twin brother" Soon enough Meghan would learn about Harry, she needed to, they were brother and sister. "One night, when everything seemed all normal, the Dark Lord paid a visit to your home and murdered James, your father, and Lily. But I had warned them ahead of time, so they took a one- life potion, which allowed them to come back to life even after he had killed them. Knowing that he might come back, Lily and James went into hiding, keeping a low profile so even Harry doesn't know that they are alive. James is back at home, waiting for you to come so he can go to Hogwarts with you and tell Harry everything as well"  
  
Meghan's head was spinning, it was so much information to take in, but she tried to keep the confusion that was on her face to a minimum. After Sirius was done, she would ask all the questions that were floating through her head.  
  
Clearing his throat with a small cough, Sirius continued to tell the story, trying not to leave out any important details that would be useful for Meghan's understanding. "I left you on the doorstep and you have lived here under the impression that this was your life and family. Meghan, you are a witch."  
  
It felt like another bomb was dropped, right on top of her. "I'm a what!" she said, her breath feeling like it had left her body temporarily. "You're mistaken, I can believe that I was adopted, I mean, look at my parents, we are nothing alike. But me being a witch, that is just impossible" She was fuming now, there was so much that her parents hadn't told her, things that had been kept a secret for her whole life. Meghan was ready to run up to her room and never come out again, but she decided to hear out the rest of the story.  
  
Sirius had prepared himself for her reaction, but all the same, he continued with his explanation. "Ok, here is you past. James and Lily Potter are your parents, James died when you were very young, but as you can see, Lily is in front of you. This year you will attend Hogwarts, a large wizarding school where your brother attends. He is your twin, born at the same time as you, and if I say so you have a striking resemblance." he gave her a small smile before continuing. "I know that this is hard on you, but you had to know" he sighed loudly, his shoulders dropping to his sides.  
  
"Meghan darling, we're so sorry," her father said, still comforting her sobbing mother. He couldn't even comprehend what had just happened, it was like their family was being torn apart before his eyes.  
  
"How could you, how could you" she said, staring at her parents with a look of disgust on her face, her eyes flaming with anger. Getting up rather quickly from her seat, Meghan ran up the stairs that led upstairs, feeling the stair squeak under her heavy footsteps. Pearly tears filled her eyes as she slammed the door as hard as she could manage, the house shaking with shock. Pouncing on her soft feather bed, the mattress caving in slightly under her weight. Large sobs erupted from her lips, her eyes red with tearstains, and her body shaking from how upset she was.  
  
Lily was ready to go after her, but Sirius put his large hand on her shoulder, telling her not to go, it would just upset her more. It was like a sensory overload, even for him.  
  
Meghan's mother finally stopped her crying and looked up at the people that were in her household, ruining the life that they had tried to give her. Slowly standing, Joanne walked upstairs not taking a second look back at her husband. Knocking softly on the door, her knuckles white from the clenched state they had been in for the last fifteen minutes, she awaited Meghan's response.  
  
'Sod off' she thought to herself, but wouldn't say because she knew how sad her mother was already. "Come in" she said exasperatedly, covering her face with the goose down pillow that had so many smells of the past collected in it. She had gotten her tears out and was now acting calm and collected, but inside she felt like a raging volcano ready to explode.  
  
Her mother calmly collected herself before turning the brass doorknob and entering the room. "I think we need to talk"  
  
"Oh what about mother dearest" she said sarcastically, a small grimace on her face. "The fact that I'm adopted or the other part, wait it's coming back to me, oh yes, I'm a witch" Her voice was loud now, probably because of the fact that she was really ticked and her mother just walked right in like everything was pretty much ok. "Just get out" she said calmly, her voice lowering, but the command still forceful. Her plaid pillow went over her distressed face once more, like she was trying to block everything out.  
  
At that, Joanne turned on her heel and left, not knowing what she could say or do to help her daughter. But then the truth hit her; Meghan wasn't her daughter at all, she wasn't even a blood relative. She was in a state of shock now; even tears weren't able to come. But that was nothing compared to how Meghan felt.  
After Meghan removed the pillow from her tear-streaked face, she realized the decision that she had to make. She could either stay here with her family that she has known all her life, forgetting that this event ever happened. Or she could go with Lily and Sirius, meet her brother and father, and live a happier life where she wasn't always considered a freak. Now she knew why that was though, she, Meghan, was a witch. It all seemed to make sense in a strange way, it definitely explained why she was always doing strange things and treated like an outcast. Meghan sulked over to her dresser and began to pull out all of her clothes, piling them into a neat pile on the end of her bed. Next she got out her large suitcase, which she squished the clothes into. This was just something that she had to do, for herself.  
  
Picking up the extremely large suitcase, now filled to the brim with clothes, Meghan let out a long sigh before heading back downstairs for the final time.  
  
"I'm ready to go," she said loudly, breaking the silence in the room that was so thick, you could have cut it with a knife. Giving a weak smile to Lily and Sirius, Meghan nodded her head and waited for them to take her wherever they were planning to. "I guess this is it," she said to her parents, her face going blank, and her voice monotone.  
  
"I guess so," her father said softly, getting up and giving her one last hug. "I wish you the best with whatever life gives you, I just hope that you still consider us your family somewhat" Letting her go, Dave stared at his daughter, the one that he had raised as his own, then with one final smile he winked and watched as she moved over to her real family.  
  
"I'll write to you sometime," she said, flashing one more smile at him, feeling a sense of fear wash over her. How could she trust these people, how did she know that they weren't just lying.  
  
Her mother remained seated; her face turned down to the ground, not saying a word. But that didn't matter to Meghan, she had never been very close with Joanne anyway.  
  
"Lets go then" Sirius said enthusiastically, helping Lily up from her seat and pulling out his wand. Quickly muttering some words that were only just distinguishable, they all heard another pop, and the three were gone from sight, now standing in the middle of the Hogwarts entrance hall.  
  
A wry smile lit Meghan's face as she stared around the warm stone hall, which quickly became a silent gasp. It was exactly like a picture that always inhabited her dreams at night, a castle. But it seemed like nobody was in there; it looked completely empty to her eyes.  
  
Just then a man began to walk down the stairs, looking very old indeed, but a twinkle in his eye made him seem kind. "Ah I believe you are Meghan," he said softly, giving her a smile. Not saying another word, he beckoned them to follow as he led them to his office. "Peppermint Imps" he said, watching as the stone gargoyle that guarded the entrance jumped aside, allowing them inside.  
  
It was like nothing she had ever seen before, odds and ends zooming around the cluttered room. It felt like home though, not just a storage closet that some would have thought. It most definitely had magical qualities. Then something else drew her attention, a man, sitting in a chair up the flight of stairs. He was instantly recognizable; he had to be her real father.  
  
"Meghan, oh Meghan" he cried out as he watched her approach. James would have run down to see her, but from the look on her face, she looked ready to break down any second. Instead he just looked at her, and how amazingly similar she looked to him, just as Harry did.  
  
Hearing the voice coming from her father, Meghan just smiled, not opening her mouth for the fear of being sick all over the lovely room. When they came to the table, Dumbledore motioned for them all to sit down in chairs that he had just conjured up out of thin air.  
  
"Now, we have much to do, and little time before you two are discovered" he said in a hurried tone, checking the door to make sure that no others were outside listening. "Sirius, I need you to go find Harry in your Animagi form, make sure no one knows who you are"  
  
Hearing those words Sirius transformed into the large black dog, exiting out of the door and going after Harry. It was just between classes so he had to be very careful.  
  
Meanwhile, back in Dumbledore's office, Meghan sat uncomfortably, feeling as though all eyes were on her, which they were.  
  
Dumbledore surveyed her with great interest, remembering what he had to do. "Meghan if you would be so kind as to just stay there while I get the Sorting Hat" he said, hurrying out of his seat and climbing up a rustic ladder, bringing a patched up old hat with him. Placing it on her head, he stood back and let it do its work.  
  
"Ah, another Potter I see" the hat said, a brim opening for it's mouth, concentrating hard. "Just as difficult as the last one, courageous, yes, but ambitious as well. You have many of the qualities that were enable you to join any house, but I think you would do best in GRYFFINDOR" it finally said, the brim closing and becoming silent once more.  
  
Lily and James were very happy to know that she didn't end up in Slytherin, which might have been a possibility if Harry had almost been placed there. "Congratulations" they both said in unison, giving her pats on the back.  
  
Meghan would have been perfectly happy, but she didn't have a clue what it all meant. "Um..excuse me" she said cautiously, her eyes turned to the floor. "Could someone possibly explain what just happened, I'm a little confused at the moment" Before she said another word, Dumbledore gave her another kind smile and began to explain.  
  
"There are four houses at Hogwarts, Gryffindor, Slytherin, Hufflepuff, and Ravenclaw," he said slowly, trying to assure that she understood everything. "You were just sorted into Gryffindor, which Harry is part of as well, you will sleep in the dormitories provided, and go to all the classes that the Gryffindors have" Then he remembered one more thing, Ollivander was waiting for her to arrive, so she could get her wand. It wasn't regular for this to happen, but it was an exception. Other then that, he had all of her other school supplies, down to the last book.  
  
"Thank you, I think I get it now," she said, managing a small smile in Dumbledore's direction, grateful that he didn't expect too much from her. More then ever now, she wanted to meet her brother, and all of his friends, just wanted to experience this world.  
  
"Ah yes, Mr. Ollivander" said Dumbledore, bowing slightly at the old man's entrance into the office. His piercing blue eyes surveyed around, then stopping on Meghan, he smiled. Pulling out the large selection of wands that he had brought, he handed them to Meghan, one by one.  
  
Suddenly Meghan found herself being paraded by wands, grabbing the one that he had first held out for her, she waved it around, but nothing happened. She felt it get pulled out of her hand and quickly replaced by another, which she waved as well, but this time a small spinning top exploded on the high shelf. "No that's not the one" Ollivander mumbled under his breath, pulling another one out of it's box. Taking the next one, Meghan felt like an electric shock went through her fingers, then a small amount of light blossomed from the end. "Excellent" he said quickly pulling it out of her tight grasp and placing it in the box, before handing it back to her. "This is maple, 8 inches, with a mermaid scale, which is not something I usually use, but I thought it would work out nicely. Very good, yes" he finished, his muttering not ceasing, until at last he had left the office.  
  
A knock came from the door, and in stepped Sirius, now back to his normal form, and a boy who looked like a mirror image of her. She knew at once who this was, just as she had recognized James, this had to be Harry, her brother.  
  
Ok, next chapter, Harry is going to find that his parents are alive, have a mental overload, and then find that he has a sister who makes him even more freaked out. I thought that Meghan would meet his friends this chapter, but it didn't work out that way.. 


	3. New World

"Hey Harry," said Meghan weakly, staring at him, her eyes connecting with his and forming a strange connection that could not be seen. Her stomach was flopping around like a fish being taken out of water. It had to happen sometime, but she doubted that anytime she would have been ready. This was all happening so fast, finding out that she was adopted, being taken to Hogwarts, then meeting her brother face to face. It almost felt like a very strange dream, which she was no stranger to.  
  
Harry's mouth dropped at seeing this girl standing there with his face and hair, even their eyes were the same. "Are we related?" he asked breathlessly, not really sure what to say, but still trying to keep his composure.  
  
"Oh, clever Einstein" she said sarcastically, a smirk on her face. It wasn't like she meant to be snarky to her newfound brother, but it was just her style. It was the way she dealt with stress like this.  
  
He was taken aback by her response to his speechlessness. It sounded like something that Draco would say ... But he had more important things to think about at the moment. "You must be related to me, you have my eyes," he said confidently.  
  
"How do you know that you don't have my eyes?" She asked, scoffing at his confidence. It seemed cocky to her, but that was obviously just the way he was, full of himself and cocky.  
  
Harry was about to come back with another, but instead his attention turned to a woman and man that he had only ever seen in pictures. "Mum . Dad?" he said, his voice cracking incredulously. He had been told that they were dead for his whole life - Maybe he was just seeing a mirage.  
  
Lily and James smiled at their son, after not seeing him for fifteen years; this was amazing for them. "Harry, it's . Great to see you again." His mother said softly, tears welling up in her eyes, but not leaving the crevasses that encumbered them.  
  
"But you're ... You're dead," he said, stuttering uncontrollably, feeling the speechlessness return and take control of his dry mouth.  
  
"Harry, I suggest that you sit down and listen," Dumbledore suggested, cutting the conversation short, allowing some explaining to happen. Waving his hand again, another chair popped into the crowded office, where Harry still gaped astoundedly, shock written all across his face.  
  
Nodding, Harry climbed up the small flight of stairs and sat in the newly apparated chair, moving it over slightly so he was more secluded from his family. This was something that an explanation was direly required of. Hands crossed over his chest like an impatient child, Harry glared around the room, his eyes stopping on Meghan once more, but still continuing to glare.  
  
"Harry ..." His Father started, feeling the pressure get turned on in full force. "We have been alive your whole life. Just before the Dark Lord came, we took a One-Life potion, and once we had seemed to be killed, our life came back to us. Your mother and I have been in hiding ever since, not even daring to come out and find you - It would put us all in danger." James really hoped that Harry would understand, but it was such a hard concept to grasp for anyone, living with your relatives, thinking that your parents were dead when they were only in hiding ...  
  
"I ... I ... Understand." Said Harry dawningly, actually feeling relieved and not angry, like his first reaction had been. His rough cheekbones formed into a half smile, sliding the chair back over until he was side by side with his parents.  
  
At once, Lily grasped him into the same motherly hug that she had given Meghan - Loving the feeling of having her children back with her again, in her arms. Feeling him squirm out of the hug, Lily and James nodded towards each other, preparing for another impact on Harry's life. "Harry, as you can see, this girl here looks an awful lot like you." Lily said, trying to break him in easily, not just in one big crash. "She is your twin sister, Meghan. I just got her this morning from her home, and she will be joining you at Hogwarts, also as a Gryffindor." Lily picked up after a short pause in her speech, the smile on her face obviously trying to be reassuring, but leaving Harry still considerably unimpressed.  
  
"I have a what?" He exclaimed, his voice rising a few decibels. "This person is my sister?"  
  
"Meghan, okay. My name is Meghan, not 'person'," she added, not liking the fact that she was being talked about, but they acted like she wasn't there. Meghan wasn't sure if she liked Harry too much at the moment, but maybe it was just the shock of everything coming down on him, like thread unraveling from a tapestry.  
  
Giving her a cold look, Harry felt like he could read her mind, and he didn't like her all that much either.  
  
"Thanks a lot." She thought in her head, a realization suddenly popping into mind. "Harry, I can hear you, and you can hear me. Hey! Wow! I'm a psychic! Just like the ones you see on T.V.!" All these thoughts channeled through her, and transferred straight into Harry's head.  
  
"Meghan, it must be some sort of bond, like a brother-sister type thing," Harry spoke back with his own mind, looking around to make sure that nobody else could hear them.  
  
"I'm sorry to interrupt this little psychic party, but I think there are more pressing matters at hand." Said a voice, which she recognized as Dumbledore's. It didn't sound angry - More like amused really.  
  
Giving a pleasant grin, Meghan looked at Harry, who grinned back at her. This was one thing that could most definitely come in handy. But if Dumbledore could hear them, then they would have to block him out. Maybe it was just in his office that he could hear them, or maybe he was just that powerful ...  
  
"Well, I assume that you will want to show Meghan around her common room and such. Make sure to introduce her to Ms. Granger and Mr. Weasley, they are, after all, your best friends," said Dumbledore, giving them a smile over his half-moon glasses. With a wave of his hand, Dumbledore told them to go.  
  
One last hug-fest took place for both Meghan and Harry with Lily and James, then, without another word, they ran out of the office, obviously quite excited. At the moment she felt more like a small child rather than a sixteen-year-old, who was expected to act her age.  
  
"This way," he said in his head, beckoning for her to follow with the small flick of his hand.  
  
"You know, we don't have to talk psychic. Or are you too good for regular words?" She joked, taking large strides to keep up with her brother. He was about 5'11", while she was around 5'8". It wasn't much of a height difference, but his legs were a little longer then hers, which enabled him to move faster.  
  
"Sorry ..." He said sheepishly, rubbing the back of his untidy black hair, making it stick up at odd angles. Slowing down a little to allow Meghan to keep up, Harry grinned to himself. He had a sister. Harry Potter, The Boy Who Lived - alone - had a sister.  
  
"So . Harry," she said, noticing the strange feeling that fell in her stomach when she said the name. "Tell me about yourself." Meghan wasn't one to make great conversation, so she settled for some lame small talk, like the crap her mother used to come up with.  
  
"Well, I've lived a lie my whole life pretty much," he said, a dull look in his eyes as they walked up a moving flight of stairs. Harry was totally used to this stuff, since he had been here for six years now.  
  
Meghan screamed loudly as the ground rumbled and the staircase moved up, stopping when it joined up with another stone step. "Just settle down, no worries." She reassured herself, watching as Harry kept walking on, and following suit.  
  
Another smile crept onto his face as she screamed, just like he predicted she would. "Just a little way further," he said, not even looking back at her. "To answer your question, I live with the Dursleys, who you hopefully will never have to meet, and I come here every year to attend school. My best friends are Ron and Hermione, they'll be in the common room when we get there. Oh, and you might want to avoid Draco Malfoy - He's the most arrogant little pillock in the school. That and we hate each other with a vengeance." He added, a picture of them popping into his head.  
  
"Wow! They seem great! Well, except Malfoy," she said, trying to picture their faces which she supposed she would see soon enough. When she had finished her sentence, Meghan found herself face to face with a huge portrait of a lady in a frilly pink dress.  
  
"Password?" She posed, her voice sounding strangely echoed, as though she spoke from far away.  
  
"Gillyweed," Harry muttered, loud enough for Meghan to hear it. Eventually she would be off on her own and would need to know the password. Quickly he stepped into the black hole, disappearing from the fearful view of Meghan.  
  
"Erm ..." she said softly, deciding just to go for it. So, stepping into the same domain that Harry had, she held her breath and closed her eyes - Afraid that she was doing something wrong. But her fears were needless. She found her self in a beautifully furnished room, large enough to house hundreds of people.  
  
Harry saw that Meghan had followed him and walked over to her. "Welcome to your new home," he said, whispering into her ear, catching the curious gazes of his two best friends. With a grin, he called them over.  
  
"Meghan, I would like you to meet Hermione Granger and Ronald Weasley. Guys, this is my sister!" He said, watching their reactions, which were nothing like he thought. Hermione's face lit up with joy, and Ron blushed a very deep scarlet, starting to upstage his fiery red hair.  
  
"Oh my gosh!" said Hermione, rushing towards her with an arm slung over her shoulder. This was one of the best things that could ever have happened to her - Finally she wouldn't be the only girl in their group.  
  
"Nice to meet you, Meghan," said Ron, still blushing deeply. His head was bowed down to the ground, obviously quite embarrassed.  
  
For a moment, no one spoke, and Meghan felt slightly awkward, as though she'd intruded on something to which she didn't belong. Giving a weak, nervous smile, Hermione was the first to break the silence. "You both look so alike. It's amazing ... But how? I mean, I don't understand, this is ... Oh my gosh, this is ... Oh my gosh!"  
  
"You keep saying that Hermione. Oh my gosh!" Ron mocked playfully, flaming red again as he caught Meghan's curious gaze. "We'll find out later. And please, don't consult any books. You won't find any explanations to this ... Phenomenon." Stepping forward, Ron moved his eyes between Harry and Meghan. "Wow ..." He breathed, finding the resemblance to be uncanny.  
  
"Get out of it, Ron," Harry said, pushing him back playfully, disliking all the extra attention from which he didn't usually receive from his closest friends. Meghan, who was watching all this with interested eyes, suddenly finds herself being led away by Hermione.  
  
"Come on, I'll show you the dorm. Hold on Harry, I'll bring her back down in a few minutes." Harry, looking bewilderingly after them, glances over at Ron, who just shrugs and mouths, 'It must be a girl thing.'  
  
Meghan felt immediately comfortable in the presence of Hermione. She was just so easy-going, and open.  
  
"Hey Meghan, don't panic, Hermione's really nice," came Harry's voice suddenly through her mind. "I figured that, brother-dearest." Meghan thought-spoke back with mild sarcasm. "If you get to call me brother- dearest, I get to call you sister-dearest." Shot Harry's reply, and Meghan rolled her eyes. "Whatever ..."  
  
Stepping into a room, Meghan gasped as a room of enormous proportions met her. "Yes, it is rather nice, isn't it?" Hermione said, beaming at her, as Meghan's eyes roamed around the several four-poster beds.  
  
"This is the sixth year girls dorm. I sleep here, along with Parvati Patil and Lavender Brown. You'll sleep in this bed," she said, moving over to the bed that was situated by a large window. Alongside the bed and dresser sat a large pile of stuff that looked like all of her supplies. They had her all organized and she didn't have to do anything.  
  
"It's perfect," she said, grinning again, ear to ear, before jumping onto her bed - The covers flapping around as she continued to jump.  
  
"I'm glad that you like it." Hermione beamed. "You might want to get changed into your robes though, before I go out and show you the rest of the Commons. You'll eventually meet everyone, but for now, Harry, Ron and I will show you everything." It was so great to have another girl. Even though Harry and Ron were her best friends, they didn't understand girl issues. She was sure that Meghan and herself were going to become great friends.  
  
"Ok, just give me a second," she said, pulling things out of the trunk that sat perpendicular to the end of the large bed. Eventually she found a set of robes that had the Gryffindor crest on them, paired with a striped scarf, gray pleated skirt, white knee socks, and black Mary Janes.  
  
Pulling on the articles of clothing, Meghan checked herself out in the small mirror before setting off to join up with her friends. Her hair was pulled up in a loose ponytail, stray pieces fluttering before her face. "Hey guys, what do you think?" She said, spinning around slowly, giving them a good look at her uniform. It was slightly strange for her - At her old school there was no dress code ... But Meghan kind of liked this school- girl look.  
  
"It looks great," said Ron, an amazed look on his face, replaced by a half grin. "You'll fit in just fine," said Harry, glancing around the room, noticing all of the attention his sister was getting.  
  
"I guess it's time for you to meet some Gryffindors," he said jauntily, slipping his arm through hers and leading her over to a few guys playing wizard chess in a corner. "Hey Dean, Neville, Lee," he said, addressing them each in turn. "This is my sister, Meghan."  
  
"Hey," she said softly, a little shyness kicking in. "It's great to meet you all, I guess I'll see you around." Then with one wave she quickly walked away, leaving Harry with his friends.  
  
"Wow, what a fox!" Dean said, staring in shock at the trail that she left on her way back to Ron and Hermione. "That's an understatement." Said Neville, not even noticing that half of the pieces had been knocked to the ground in an attempt to get a better look.  
  
"Put your eyes back in, I'm showing her around and she doesn't need any more stress then she already has," he said coldly towards the three. Even though Lee didn't say anything, Harry could tell that he was thinking along the same lines as the other two.  
  
Ron took this opportunity as Meghan and Harry left them to talk to Hermione for a few moments. "Meghan is really something," he said breathlessly, his cloud blue eyes looking in her direction.  
  
"Ron, do you have a little crush?" She asked slyly, grinning evilly at him. Hermione had to admit that she was pretty, and it was great that Ron liked her, but it had only been a very brief meeting, not enough to know anything.  
  
Meghan dropped herself into a small chair by the fireplace - Blocking out all of the stares she was getting ... Although these were different stares then she was used to.  
  
Slowly, Harry walked over to her, hands stuffed into the pockets of his jeans, a sort of grimace on his face. "I'm sorry about those freaks over there," he said bashfully, looking at her with compassion flaming in his eyes.  
  
"Oh, it's fine, I just feel like someone's watching me all the time here" she said, a chill running up her spine.  
  
"Well, someone is," he chuckled, giving a glance over at Ron, who seemed to be drooling a little at the moment. "I think Ron likes you a little." Harry didn't mind people getting excited over her, but if they did anything horrible - They would regret it. It was brothers' code.  
  
"So, that's who it is ... Well, he seems great, but I only just met him!" She protested, flashing a quick smile over at him. Meghan wasn't ready for anything right now, especially after a life of being ignored.  
  
Receiving the smile, Ron smiled back, sucking a piece of drool that was escaping from his bottom lip. It was like she made a bumbling fool out of him, even if it wasn't intentional. He understood that she wouldn't be all over him or anything, nobody ever was, but he still couldn't help but feel his heart flutter when she looked at him.  
  
"Do you want to explore the school a little more?" Harry asked suddenly, breaking her train of thought.  
  
Meghan shrugs a little unsurely. "Yeah, I suppose so." At this, Harry grins at her, and Meghan shoots him a bewildered look. "What?" She asks bluntly. "What is it?"  
  
"Nothing ... much." Harry teased, signalling for Ron and Hermione to follow with a quick wave of his hand. "You just look ... Well ... Really nervous, that's all."  
  
"Oh, thanks for that, Harry. A real confidence booster. I mean, I did only just arrive here you know. I found out about an hour ago that I was actually adopted, and that I was a witch, of all things. Then I find out I have a brother, and that I'm supposed to attend a magic school. I mean, hell-o? How do you think I'm feeling? I'm not exactly going to go and sing at the top of my lungs the happiest song I can think of at the moment. I don't even think I know who I am anymore." Meghan, seeing their concerned expressions, and the mullet-stoned gazes of the boys across the room, finally rolls her eyes, and laughs. "Hey, I was only joking. I swear! I have a dry sense of humor. Seriously." And she put on a mock-serious face, which made the others smile in a most relieved manner.  
  
Hermione, suddenly walking past them, and then out through the portrait, suddenly calls back through the passage, "You're definitely related to Harry then. I don't even know if he has a sense of humor!" She taunts playfully, to which Ron immediately responds, "Look whose talking, Miss-I'm- So-Serious-About-Everything-Especially-Rules."  
  
"Oh, ha ha. Very funny Ron. You guys coming?"  
  
Meghan, looking between them curiously, wondering what is was exactly that she'd missed, steps after Harry and Ron back out into the main corridor. Moving leisurely down through various passageways and hallways, Meghan, remaining considerably quiet as they passed other students in the opposite direction, and not really contributing much to their conversation due to the unknown topic of something called 'Quidditch', is stopped suddenly as Harry reaches out a hand and pulls back gently on her robes, just as they reach the entrance to the Great Hall. Hearing a small groan from Ron, seeing Hermione roll her eyes, and Harry mutter something along the lines of "Here we go again ...", Meghan looks ahead and lays eyes upon a silver- blonde haired boy, with two, larger, much-heavier built boys on either side of him, approaching them from the other end of the corridor. Seeing the blonde one smirk arrogantly towards his friends, indicating towards Meghan, her brother, and her two new friends, taking note of the emerald green and silver colors of their uniform, and the serpent crest upon each upper-left corner of their robes, she realizes that these must be students from one of the other houses. Meghan quickly averts her eyes away as the trio stops before them.  
  
"What d'you want, Malfoy?" Harry starts, looking completely uncaring. Meghan, at the mention of the boys name, suddenly looks up, and catches the blonde boy's curious glance. So this was Harry's rival ...  
  
Malfoy, looking maliciously between them, suddenly does a double take as he narrows his eyes loathsomely at Potter, sneering indomitably, and then keeps them narrowed for ... Potter again? What the hell was going on? Two of them? One ... He looked at Harry, wearing those completely ridiculous glasses, and the great, dirty, lightning-shaped scar upon his forehead. Two ... He then switched his gaze to an almost identical Harry Potter lookalike ... Except, female version ... With no glasses ... And no scar ...  
  
"Tell me Potter, did you actually need a girlfriend that badly that you had to clone yourself? Doesn't say much for you, does it?" He drawls amusedly, his silver-grey eyes shimmering malevolently. "Then again, there's not much to say for you anyway ..."  
  
"More to say about him than you, Malfoy." Ron suddenly spoke up, stepping boldly forward from next to Hermione. "And Meghan's not his girlfriend, she's his sister." He finished bluntly, an expression of disgust written across his face as he spoke.  
  
Malfoy's face suddenly lit up with a look that could be described as nothing other than pure, sinister glee, and yet still, a disguised sense of curiousity lingered beneath the smile of wrathful intent. "Ron!" Hermione exclaimed suddenly, glaring at him reprimandingly; Harry doing the same. "What?" He shot back, then realised what he'd just said. Now that Malfoy knew, the whole school would know ... And then the entire wizarding world ... "Did I say sister?" He went on unconvincingly. "I meant cousin."  
  
"Nice try, Weasley. Your lying skills are almost as worthless as you are." Smirking at Ron's flushing, indignant face, Malfoy then quickly turns his head to face Harry. "You have a sister now, Potter? You? No, that can't be right ... Last time I checked, both your parents were dead, and you were an only child ... Unless, of course, the rumours were true ..." Malfoy trailed off, flickering his eyes between them, with the two butch boys flexing their muscles threateningly behind him at the group of four Gryffindors. There were rumours he knew of, but they were thought to be only tales ... That there was, infact, another Potter ...  
  
Harry, moving infront of Meghan defensively as Malfoy suddenly steps forward, slightly curious as to what the Slytherin was talking about when he referred to these 'rumours', suddenly stops as Meghan sends him a thought message. "Don't Harry. Just wait to see what he does first. It can't hurt ...' 'You don't know Malfoy, Meghan. He's the most arrogant, self-obsessed, slimy git ever to have trashed the planet.' Harry thought back, but reluctantly steps out of his way anyway as Meghan replies, 'I guess I'll find out then, won't I?'.  
  
"Meghan, was it?" Malfoy drawled arrogantly, inspecting her closely, and comparing her to the Potter he knew. "I'm Draco Malfoy. This is Crabbe." He indicated behind him on his left. "And Goyle." Then indicated behind him on his right. Sneering coldly at her, so much so that Ron had the strongest urge to punch his lights out, Hermione wanted to curse him across the hallway, and Harry wanted to hit him first and then curse him across the hallway, Draco speaks again - Leaving Meghan feeling quite at a loss for words, and all the others present too.  
  
"So the Other Potter really exists then. And here was everyone thinking that you were just a rumour ..." Smirking, Harry looking decidedly confused, but Hermione and Ron looking slightly uncomfortable, as if they knew something he didn't, Draco steps back again, looking considerably entertained.  
  
"And I suppose that you didn't know this either, did you Potter?" He drawls superiorly, a cruel smile across his lips, as Harry looks astoundedly between Ron and Hermione, who would not meet his glance, then finally resting eyes on Meghan, who looked as lost and confused as he did. "Then again, you don't ever really know much about our world at all, so I shouldn't really be surprised ..." Draco's eyes briefly flickered over to Hermione as he emphasised the word 'our' - It was no secret that he despised Granger for being muggle-born - Or a 'mudblood' as her kind were more commonly known to by those of higher breeding in wizarding society, much like himself.  
  
Would he dare to ask? Malfoy was hardly trustworthy, but Harry hated not knowing something that he did. It was humiliating to be one of the most famous wizards in the world and knowing less about wizarding society than was expected he should. So was it worth the risk? And what were Hermione and Ron hiding? Harry, feeling slightly uneasy and under pressure, quickly makes his decision, and cautiously speaks up again.  
  
"What rumours ...?" Seeing Ron blush furiously again, and Hermione shrug weakly, Harry turns to Malfoy, who immediately sneers at him once more.  
  
"Perhaps your friends might like to tell you ..." He drawls cruelly, eyeing Ron and Hermione viciously, before settling a sinister, cold gaze back on to Meghan, who shudders involuntarily at the cruel emptiness she sees within his eyes ... 


End file.
